Shuttle construction utilized to transmit the expansion and contraction effects of high and low pressure bellows and the like



Sheet HIS ATTORNEYS M y 3, 1969 A. L @000 SHUTTLE CONSTRUCTION UTILIZED TO TRANSMIT THE EXPANSION AND CONTRACTION EFFECTS OF HIGH AND LOW PRESSURE BELLOWS AND THE LIKE Filed Jan. 25, 1967 2.5 2 m D G 6 n o I 4 G w E.- I w s F m L R U 1 t R MW A M r i W 1.1 Y Q 4 N B B B 3 5T 8 a i y r 4d 2 B 3 :JHmLH m m i l w w x 7 9 4 h 2 2 7/ 1. d 5 5 1 il 4 4 .46 7 MW m I r ll-I 11x41 I; W: M w 6 B EEE 2 2 o 8 MN 5 l J w W \m wm 2 o 2 H Em MW, ,1 2 M 4 B q 2H; lzw H B 8\ 1 Hill ll 6 J \4 5 O B B LU.. 2. 5 y. Vflli W1 I A 5 m 4 2 w 6| A .7 3 6 A 2 am 6 5 4 1 8 li l 1. 2 1 -82. i H 114 l l|\\ m n n l J l. 2 B 2 M 2 I. 2/ 8 646 426 O 5 58 88 M MW M 2 I. 5 4 5 A. L. GOOD SHUTTLE CONSTRUCTION UTILIZED TO TRANSMIT THE EXPANSION May 13, 1969 AND CONTRACTION EFFECTS OF HIGH AND LOW PRESSURE BELLOWS AND THE LIKE Filed Jan. 25, 1967 Sheet FIG INVENTOR. ARTHUR L. GOOD W3 m HIS ATTORNEYS y 13, 1969 A. GOOD 3'444'343 SHUTTLE CONSTRUCTION UTILIZED TO TRANSMIT THE EXPANSION AND CONTRACTION EFFECTS OF HIGH AND LOW PRESSURE BELLOWS AND THE LIKE Sheet 3 FIG-9 Filed Jan. 25, 1967 FIG-IO INVENTOR. RTHUR L. GOOD HIS ATTORNEYS United States Patent i 3,444,343 SHUTTLE CONSTRUCTION UTILIZED TO TRANS- MIT THE EXPANSION AND CONTRACTION EFFECTS OF HIGH AND LOW PRESSURE BEL- LOWS AND THE LIKE Arthur L. Good, Elkhart, Ind., assignor to Robertshaw Controls Company, Richmond, Va., a corporation of Delaware Continuation-impart of application Ser. No. 599,515, Dec. 6, 1966. This application Jan. 25, 1967, Ser. No. 611,669

Int. Cl. H01h 35/40 US. Cl. 200-83 18 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The shuttle construction is actuated by pressure responsive means of the regulator and actuates a switch means and the like. The shuttle means may be an edgewise movable main sheet metal body with actuated flange means, actuating flange means bent from and at right angles to the main sheet metal body. Spring attaching openings receive the ends of springs which support the shuttle construction on a parallel fiat wall construction. The spring means are C-shaped sheet metal springs with web feet attached to the shuttle and to the wall.

This application is a continuation-in-part of the following applicants copending US. applications: Ser. No. 599,515, filed Dec. 6, 1966, for Pressure or Temperature Regulator; Ser. No. 599,514, filed Dec. 6, 1966, for Negating Spring Construction for a Pressure Regulator and the Like; and Ser. No. 603,195, filed Dec. 20, 1966, for Arm Construction for a Pressure Regulator and the Like.

This application is directed to a shuttle construction for a pressure regulator and the like. Such shuttle construction is actuated by one part of the pressure regulator, such as a pressure responsive part, and the shuttle means actuates another part of the pressure regulator, such as a switch and the like.

In a preferred embodiment, the shuttle construction comprises an endwise substantially flat main shuttle body, such body having an actuated flange means, an actuating flange means, and spring attaching means for attaching the spring means on said main shuttle body.

The main shuttle body may be an edgewise movable main sheet metal body, and the actuated flange means, and the actuating flange means may be bent from, and at right angles to, the sheet metal body, and the spring attaching means may be one or more fastener receiving openings.

The spring means may be one or more springs, such as C-shaped springs having web feet attached to the main shuttle body, and having other feet attached to a flat supporting wall, which wall may be parallel to the sheet metal body.

Other features are apparent from this description, the appended claimed subject matter, and/ or the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front diagrammatic elevation of a pressure regulator provided with a shuttle construction according to this invention.

FIGURE 2 is a view similar to FIGURE 1, but with certain front parts removed, and with other parts in vertical cross section.

FIGURE 3 is a diagram of a refrigeration system, the pressure of which may be controlled by a controller having the shuttle construction of this invention.

FIGURE 4 is a transverse cross section along the line 44 of FIGURE 1.

3,444,343 Patented May 13, 1969 FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of the substantially fiat main shuttle body.

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of a rocker arm construction which actuates the main shuttle body.

FIGURE 7 is a view of a controller having a single pressure responsive member, and a single rocker arm construction.

FIGURE 8 is a view somewhat similar to FIGURE 7, but showing certain of the parts moved to a different position.

FIGURE 9 is a view somewhat similar to FIGURES 1 and 2, but showing a shuttle construction with two shuttle bodies cooperating to actuate the switch means.

FIGURE 10 is a view of part of a controller, somewhat similar to that shown in FIGURE 9 but with differently arranged rocker arm construction.

FIGURE 11 is a diagrammatic perspective view of a shuttle construction including two main shuttle bodies, of the types shown in FIGURES 7-10.

FIGURE 12 is a perspective view of one of the sheet metal springs used in the shuttle construction.

FIGURE 13 is a detailed cross section taken along the line 1313 of FIGURE 2 and showing the attachment of a web foot of a spring to the main shuttle body.

FIGURE 14 is a view somewhat similar to FIGURE 13, but taken along the line 1414 of FIGURE 2 and showing the attachment of a web foot to the support wall.

Certain words may be used in this specification and in the claimed subject matter that indicate direction, relative position, and the like. Such words are used forthe sake of clearness and brevity. However, it is to be understood that such Words are used only in connection with illustrations in the drawings, and that in actual practice, the parts so described may have entirely different direction, relative position, and the like. Examples of such words are vertical, horizontal, upper, lower, etc.

A typical pressure regulator 20, in which a shuttle construction of this invention may be used, is diagrammatically illustrated in FIGURES 1, 2, 4, 5 and 6. Such regulator may have a well known relatively high pressure responsive member or bellows 22, and a well known relatively low pressure responsive bellows or member 24. Member 22 may be responsive, for example, to the high pressure side 26 of a refrigeration system or the like, such as diagrammatically indicated in FIGURE 3. Such bellows 22 may be connected by the high pressure connecting line 28 to such high side 26 of the refrigeration system. The low pressure responsive member 24 may be connected to the low pressure side 30 of the refrigeration system, by the low pressure connector 32. The regulator 20 may also have a snap switch 34 which is snapped to open and closed positions by the rightward and leftward movement of the switch actuating lever 36 in response to pressure conditions in the high side 26 and low side 30 of the refrigeration system. Such switch 34 may connect and disconnect the electric motor 38 which drives the refrigerant compressor 40. The compressor discharges high pressure refrigerant in the high side 26, which is delivered to the condensor 42 which delivers the condensed refrigerant to the expansion means or valve 44. The valve 44 delivers expanded refrigerant to the refrigerant evaporator 46, and which delivers the evaporated refrigerant through a return line to the compressor 40.

Details of the construction of the refrigeration system which is diagrammatically illustrated in FIGURE 3 are well known and hence are not further described.

The pressure responsive members or bellows 22 and 24 respectively rock the rocker arms 48A and 48B, which rock about the fixed fulcrums 50A and 50B.

The rocker arms 48A and 48B, and similar rocker arms may be substantially the same as the rocker arm 48 which is diagrammatically illustrated in perspective in FIGURE 6. The rocker arms 48A and 48B may have the same construction as rocker arm 48 in FIGURE 6. These rocker arms 48A and 48B may have vertical arm levers 52A and 52B, and horizontal arm levers 54A and 54B. These arm levers are respectively indicated as 52 and 54 in FIG- URE 6. FIGURE 6 is intended to be a representative illustration for all of the rocker arms herein disclosed.

The bellows 22 and 24 respectively rock the horizontal levers 54A and 54B and this causes a rightward and leftward rocking action of the arm levers 52A and 52B.

The horizontal arm levers 54A, 54B, and other horizontal arm levers herein illustrated, may be downwardly pressed by adjustable vertical coil compression springs 55A, 55B, 57B and other such vertical coil compression springs, which are not the subject of this application.

The effects of the expansion and contraction of the bellows 22 and 24 are transmitted by the shuttle construction of this invention.

Such shuttle construction is diagrammatically indicated by the arrow 56 in FIGURES 1 and 2.

Such shuttle construction 56 may include an endwise or edgewise, or horizontally reciprocable main shuttle body, such as the substantially flat, main shuttle body 58. The body 58 may have actuated flange means which may be forwardly directed and may be in the form of flanges 60 and 62, which are respectively actuated by the vertical arm levers 52B and 52A. The arm levers 52A and 52B are each provided with adjustment means which connects the rocker arm levers with the flanges. Such adjustment means may take the form of adjustable screws 64 and 66 respectively. These screws have hexagonal heads or the like, for adjustment. These screws are respectively threaded openings 68 and 70, FIGURE 6.

The main shuttle body 58 may also have actuating flange means, such as the forwardly directed flange 72. The flange 72 may actuate the switch lever 36 through the medium of adjustable means, such as adjustable screw 74, which is threaded in the threaded opening 76- in the flange 72.

Any of the adjustable screws herein disclosed may be provided with a lock nut 75 and the like, FIGURES 2 and 4, to lock such screws in adjusted position.

The main shuttle body 58 may also have spring means attaching means for attaching the downwardly directed spring means to the shuttle body. Such spring attaching means may take the form of large and small openings 78 and 80, FIGURE 5, in the main body 58.

The spring means may take the form of one or more downwardly directed springs 82, FIGURES 2 and 12. These springs 82 may each have two ends 84 and 86. One of the ends 84 may be attached to the shuttle body 58, FIGURE 13. The other of the ends 86 may be attached to a support wall 88, FIGURE 14.

The support wall 88 may be a substantially fiat support wall which may be a rear vertical support wall which may be substantially parallel to the main shuttle body 58. The support wall 88 may be part of a frame for the controller. Such frame may be generally U-shaped sheet metal frame, as viewed in FIGURE 4. The vertical wall 88 is the rear frame wall, and there may be an upper horizontal frame wall 90 and a lower horizontal frame wall 92.

The flat support wall 88 may have protrusion means in the form of a plurality of protrusions 94, 96, etc., FIGURES 2 and 4. These protrusions 94 and 96 are for the purpose of receiving the lower ends 86 of the springs 82. The upper ends 84 of the springs are attached to the main shuttle body 58 in the openings 78 and 80 as will be more fully described. The protrusions effectively space the main shuttle body 58 from the support wall 88.

Each of the springs 82 may be a sheet metal spring, FIGURE 12, with web feet 98 and 100. Web foot 98 is attached to the shuttle body 58, FIGURE 13. Web foot 100 is attached to the support wall 88, FIGURE 14. at the protrusion 94 or 96, etc.

The sheet metal spring 82 may be generally C-shaped and may have a generally C-shaped spring main body 102, FIGURE 12, with its two ends 84 and 86 directed toward each other and with the web feet 98 and 100 be ing generally flat and at substantially right angles to the spring main body 102.

The spring main body 102 may have a relatively long, resilient, and bendable vertical wall 104, with a surface perpendicular to the main shuttle body 58. The spring main body 102 may also have two substantially horizontal walls 106 and 108 connected to the vertical wall 104. The spring main body 102 may also have two relatively short vertical walls 110 and 112 connected respectively to the horizontal walls 106 and 108. The web feet 98 and 100 may be attached to the free or outside edges of the short vertical walls 110' and 112. The spring walls 104, 106 and 108 may be reinforced by the flanges 114, 116, 118 and 120.

The horizontal walls 106 and 108 extend toward the shuttle body 58 and the support wall 88 respectively.

The upper web feet 98 on the plurality of springs 82, may each have an opening 122, FIGURES 12 and 13, through which a rivet 124 passes. This rivet 124 also passes through the opening 78 in the shuttle main body 58.

The lower web feet 100 on the plurality of springs 82 may have an opening 126, FIGURES 12 and 14 through which the rivet 128 passes to attach the foot 100 to the protrusion 94 (or 96, etc.) of the support wall 88.

The web foot 98 may have a tongue end 130, FIGURE 12, which may enter the small opening in the main body 58, FIGURES 5 and 13. This locks the web foot 98 against rocking movement with respect to the shuttle body 58 around the rivet 124.

The lower web foot has a notch end 132, FIGURE 12, into which the protrusion 94 (or 96, etc.), FIGURE 14, may be upset at 134. This locks the web foot 100 against rocking movement with respect to the protrusion 94 around the rivet 128.

It is to be seen that the fiat main shuttle body 58 is an edgewise movable main sheet metal body. The actuated flange means may include the flanges 60 and 62 as well as an end flange 136, FIGURES 1, 2 and 5, which may be actuated in any desired manner. Flange 136 may be actuated in a manner similar to the actuation of flange 142 in FIGURE 10. One or more actuating flanges 72 may also be provided. These flanges are bent from and are at substantially right angle to the sheet metal body 58. If desired, a reinforcing channel 138 and a reinforcing flange 139 may be provided in the main shuttle body 58. One or more openings 141 may be provided through which one or more of the springs 82 can pass from the main body 58 to the supporting wall 88.

The main body 58 may have, as shown and described, two flanges 76 and 136 at opposite ends and one or more immediate flanges 60, 62 all of which may be bent and struck from the main body, if desired.

The shuttle main body 58 may be provided with a guiding channel 61 to receive and guide the lengthwise vertically reciprocable reset plunger 63. The other shuttle bodies herein disclosed may also be provided with reset plungers. The exact operation of the reset plunger 63, etc. is not part of this invention, and hence is not further described.

All of the springs 82 may be leftwardly biased, in all of the figures, so that the main bodies 58, 58C, 58D tend to follow the vertical arm levers 52A, 52B, 52C, etc., when they are moved leftwardly from their respective actuated flanges 60, 62, 144, etc. The various shuttle bodies 58, 58C, 58D, etc., are biased leftwardly by the springs 82 a sufiicient distance so that such shuttle bodies will follow their respective actuators leftwardly a sufiicient distance so that the switch lever 36 can also follow, by its own bias, to its leftward position.

FIGURE 11 shows another form of the shuttle construction. Two flat main shuttle bodies 58C and 58D are substantially similar to each other and operate in combination to each other. They also have many of the characteristics of main shuttle body 58. The flange constructions, etc., are substantially the same in each of the bodies 58C and 58D. Where there is a difference in action, the same is now more fully described. The member 58C may have an actuated flange 142, another actuated flange 144, and a straight actuating flange 146, which may cooperate with and actuate an actuated flange 148 of shuttle body 58D.

Either or both of the main bodies 58C and 58D may be mounted in various pressure controllers, as desired. For example, they "may be mounted in the pressure controller 20A of FIGURE 9. The springs 82, screw 74, switch lever 36, etc., may operate and have the same function as previously described in connection with FIG- URES 1-6, and hence will not be further described at this time. The flange 142 is not used in FIGURE 9, but is used in FIGURE as will be later described. In FIGURE 9, the refrigerant connector 28A may be a high pressure connector corresponding to 28, and the refrigerant connector 32A may be a connector corresponding to 32. The pressure responsive bellows within the switch of FIGURE 9, not shown, may actuate the horizontal levers 54C and 54D. The rocker arms 48C and 48D are mounted on fulcrums, not shown, which are similar to the fulcrums 50A and 50B of FIGURE 2, and are to be located near the joint between the arm levers 52C, 54C and 52D and 54D. The vertical arm 52C actuates the flange 144 by a suitable screw and the flange 146 can engage the actuated flange 148, which in turn causes the main shuttle body 58D to move rightwardly and actuate the switch blade 36 through the medium of the screw 74 which is carried by the actuating flange 72D.

By this construction, different action may be made in the control operation which is readily apparent to those skilled in the refrigeration art, wherein actions and responses may be desired to be different from those pro duced by the controller of FIGURES 1-4.

The disclosure in FIGURE 9 indicates that the shuttle construction of this invention is adaptable to many different pressure controllers and the like.

In FIGURE 10, the rocker arm 48E may have a vertical lever 52E which may be provided with a screw 150 for actuating the flange 142 of the main shuttle body 58C. Again, the fulcrum 50E of the rocker arm 48E is at a different position as is evident.

In FIGURES 7 and 8 a single rocker arm 48F may be provided which is to be rocked by a bellows, not shown, and having a refrigerant connector which may be a high side or low side connector, as desired. The rocker arm 48F may have a vertical lever 52F, which is provided with an actuating screw 152. The actuating screw 152 may engage the lower end 154 of a reversing lever 156, which is fulcrumed around a pin 158. The upper end 160 of the reversing lever 156 engages the flange 162 of a shuttle main body 58D, as illustrated in FIGURE 11. The shuttle body may have a flange 72D with a screw 74 to engage the switch lever 36. By this construction it is possible to have the fulcrum 50F as indicated in FIG- URES 7 and 8. However, the action of the vertical lever 52F is reversed by the lever 156, in a manner opposite from that of FIGURE 10.

From the foregoing disclosures, it is to be seen that a shuttle construction has been provided which can be coordinated with a large number of different pressure controllers and the like to obtain any desired reaction from the pressure members of the controllers with respect to the switch construction 34 and the like.

Further details of the pressure contollers are described and claimed in the previously identified copending applications of applicant. Reference is made to such applications, if necessary, for further disclosure and description of details of the controller herein shown but which are not directly connected with the shuttle action which is herein disclosed and claimed.

While the form of the invention now preferred has been disclosed herein, according to the statutes, other forms may be used, all coming within the scope of the claimed subject matter which follows.

What is claimed is:

1. A shuttle construction for a pressure regulator and the like, comprising, a horizontally reciprocable main shuttle body, said body having a forwardly directed actuated flange means, a forwardly directed actuating flange 'means, and a downwardly directed spring means attached to a support wall, and in which said main shuttle body is a vertical, relatively flat, edgewise reciprocable sheet main shuttle body, said actuated flange means includes one or more forwardly directed actuated sheet flanges, said actuating flange means includes one or more forwardly directed actuating sheet flanges, and said spring means includes one or more sheet springs with one of their ends attached to said main shuttle body and the other of their ends attached to said support wall which is a vertical wall parallel to and rearward of said sheet main shuttle body.

2. A shuttle construction for a pressure regulator and the like comprising, an edgewise movable, substantially flat, sheet main shuttle body, said shuttle body having sheet flange means with a portion of said flange means being forwardly directed from said shuttle body, a substantially flat support wall rearward of and substantially parallel to said shuttle body, and a plurality of spring means with each spring means having one end attached to said support wall and the other end attached to said shuttle body, said spring means causing said shuttle body to reciprocate substantially only parallel to said support wall.

3. A shuttle construction for a pressure regulator according to claim 2 with rocker arm means actuating a portion of said flange means.

4. A shuttle construction according to claim 2 with switch means actuated by a portion of said flange means.

5. A shuttle construction according to claim 2 with rocker arm means actuating a portion of said flange means and with switch means actuated by another portion of said flange means.

6. A shuttle construction according to claim 2 in which each spring means comprises a main sheet Spring construction mainly at right angle to said support wall and to said shuttle body.

7. A shuttle construction according to claim 6 in which each spring means has a web foot at one end of said spring means attached to said shuttle body and another web foot at the other end of said spring means and attached to said support Wall.

8. A shuttle construction according to claim 7 in which each of said web feet of each spring means is bent at right angle to said respective main sheet spring construction.

9. A shuttle construction according to claim 2 in which said support wall has one or more protrusions to which one of the ends of each of said plurality of spring means is attached.

10. A shuttle construction according to claim 2 in which each of said spring means is a C-shaped spring means with two C-ends.

11. A shuttle construction according to claim 10 in which each of said two C-ends has one web foot attached 7 to said support wall and another web foot attached to said shuttle body.

12. A shuttle construction according to claim 2 in which said shuttle body has reinforcing means.

13. A shuttle construction according to claim 12 in which said reinforcing means is a channel construction.

14. A shuttle construction according to claim 12 in which said reinforcing means is a flange means substantially at right angles to said shuttle body.

15. A shuttle construction according to claim 2 in which said shuttle body has an opening through which one of said spring means passes from said shuttle body to said support wall.

16. A shuttle construction according to claim 2 in which a portion of said flange means is an actuated portion of said flange means and with another portion of said flange means being an actuating portion of said flange means.

17. A shuttle construction according to claim 16 in which a similar second shuttle construction according to claim 16 is actuated by said first named shuttle construction with the actuated portion of said flange means of said second shuttle construction being actuated by the actuating portion of said flange means of said first named shuttle construction.

18. A shuttle construction according to claim 17 in which said actuated portion of said first named shuttle 1,847,086 3/1932 Gargan 20081.5 2,138,509 11/1938 Raney ZOO-81.5 2,200,995 5/1940 Procter 200-83.9 2,274,312 2/ 1942 Werner ZOO-83.9

ROBERT K. SCHAEFER, Primary Examiner.

H. BURKS, Assistant Examiner.

U.S. C1. X.R. 20081.5 

